Device on which to form miniature ladders, etc.



Patented June 14, 1949 DEVICE N WHICH TO FORM MINIATURE y LADDERS, ETVC.

Frank Spano, Union City, N. J.

Application March 28, 1946, Serial No. 657,776'

' (ci. zii-15) 9 Claims. 1

Model ships or sailing vessels require miniature or imitation ladders ofvarious shapes and sizes. It is an object of my invention to provide ajig or form on which or by means of which any one can easily constructthe ladders required in order to simulate on a small scale the actualladders on full sized ships.

For this purpose, I provide a supporting base with bridges and abutmentsover which the threads for the vertical shrouds and horizontal rungs maybe stretched and secured while glue or lacquer is applied to unite thethreads at the points of crossing.

Fig. 1 is a front view of the lower end of a device embodying one formof my invention :fhowing the threads in place to form three ladders.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the upper end of the device (not in use).

Figs. 3 and 4 are side views of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2,respectively, parts being broken away.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the lower right hand part of Fig. l, partsbeing broken away.'

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end view of a modification, parts being brokenaway. v

The foundation or base II] and the bridges II and IZ may be formed ofwood or any other suitable material. The bridge I2 is mounted near oneend of the base and for convenience may have pins I4, I4 -detachablyinserted in holes in the base. This bridge has notches I5 in its upperedge arranged at suitable intervals for instance, one-eighth of an inch,representing the spacing for the threads corresponding to the shrouds attheir lower ends.

The bridge I I is preferably detachably mounted on the base by pins suchas I6, II and I8 inserted in holes such as holes in the rows of I9, 2S,2| et-c., at a distance above bridge I2 corresponding with the height ofthe ladder to be formed which may be from one-half inch to twelve inchesdepending upon the size of the ship model. This bridge has pinsprojecting outwardly around which the vertical threads may be caught.

The ends and sides of the base are provided with slits 22, 23,respectively, arranged at suitable intervals such as one-eighth of aninch more or less corresponding to the spacing of the notches in bridgeI2 or somewhat further apart as in Fig. 2. In fact the same base canhave the spacing diierent at one end than at the other end. I "Iwonotched bridges may be provided for us with the same support, thenotches in each bridge corresponding with the slits at the end of thesupport with which it is to be used. As the walls of these slits areintended to act as resilient friction jaws for holding the ends of thethreads, I preferably provide resilient rubber or similar strips 24 and25 in which these slits are formed. These strips may be secured to thebase in any suitable manner and in fact may be detachable so that theymay be removed and replaced or strips of diierent slit-spacings may besubstituted.

These abutment strips may be inserted in the edges of the base as shownin Figs. 4 and 5 or may be mounted on the base as at 26 so as to haveslits 21 substantially in the plane of the tops or outer edges of thebridges (Fig. 6).

In order to form a tapered ladder as shown in Fig. 1, the substantiallylongitudinal threads 30 are passed around a pin such as I1 on bridge IIguided in the notches in bridge I2 and the ends pulled tightly into theslits 22 in the bottom strip Z4. The cross threads 3| are then appliedover the substantially longitudinal threads, their ends being secured inthe slits 23 in the side strips 25. A quick drying glue, cement orlacquer is then applied to the points of crossing of the threads andallowed to set. The cross threads are then cut oi adjacent the sides ofthe ladder and the lower ends of the substantially longitudinal threadsbelow the bottom cross thread are cut off to the length required for theinstallation.

By providing pins 35, one-eighth of an inch in diameter spaced apartone-eighth of an inch in the upper bridge II, it is possible to loopthreads around these pins and then stretch the threads over bridge I2and into the properly spaced slits in the lower strip 24 and then applytransverse or cross threads as above so as to form a ladder or othernetwork of -uniform width, as shown to the right of Fig. 1.

In each case, it is thus possible to form uniform and neat laddersaccording to the more or less conventional patterns and size of shipsmodels.

By reversing the base, after a number of ladders such as shown in Fig. 1have been completed, and mounting another bridge II on the base andanother bridge I2 adjacent the inverted bottom end, the remainingsurface of the base may be utilized for making other networks.

I claim:

1. A form for the construction of miniature ladders consisting of a basehaving raised bridges for supporting substantially longitudinal threads,a slitted resilient abutment for fric'- tionally anchoring the ends ofthreads supported on said bridges and fixed slitted resilient sidestrips for anchoring the ends of cross threads supported on thesubstantially longitudinal threads.

2. A form for the construction of miniature ladders consisting of abase, a raised bridge supported thereon having spaced notches forsupporting threadsa second raisedbridgeehaviug pinsaroundiwhichi-threads mayfbeilooped, a resilient anchorage strip havingspaced slits corresponding in spacing with the spacing of tliei` notcheswhereby threads mayy belooped, around said pins supported in saidnotches and anchored' in said strip and fixed resilient side stripshaving slits in the approximate plane/of the sup-- porting edges of thebridges.,

3. A form for the construction of a net Work .4 across the threads whichare supported on said bridges.

7. Apparatus for forming miniature ladders comprising a base having xedslitted resilient strips along its side edges and a slitted resilientstrip across one end and having rows of holes and a removable bridgehaving pins for inserting into said holes in the base, said bridge alsohavprnjecting;l pins around. which! substantially longitudinalrthreadsmayfbehel'd while their ends are secured in slits in the strip at theend of the base, the strips along the side edges of the base beingadapted to hold transverse threads stretched` across'- the substantiallylongitudinal threads.

8. Adevice'on which to form a miniature ladder 'comprising a base havingfixed resilient strips of threads consisting of a base, a bridge sup-v.f

ported thereon above the surface thereof and having notches`for'supportingsubstantially longitudinal threads, a:` secondi raisedbridge spaced apart therefrom and in; the plane with. the rst bridgehaving; pins around WhichI substantially longitudinal threadsmaybelooped, an anchorage strip having; spaced slits for. receiving thefree endsof: threads. supported in said notches and resilientsideanchorage strips extending substantially-V atright angles to: saidbridges and having spaced slits for receiving, cross threads and uholding them: in.Y a stretched* condition.

4. A form for` theconstruction. of anet work of threads,- comprisingAa-.rectangular base having end. members: and side members,A resilientstrips at the outer' edges of saidiend'A and side members; the stripalong atleast one-of1 the end members having spaced'A slits;` a-4bridge: member mounted on the topisurfa'ce-of the base and.disposedtransverselyl thereof said-- bridge' member havingspaced-notchesionfits-upper surface adapted to oooperate with theslitsinthe strip along said. end member for receiving and holdingv threads inspaced relation; an'dfanother bridge member adjustably mounted on thetopfsurface ois the base and disposed remote from.: and parallel to saidrst-named bridger member and having means for receiving and* holding'said: threads in convergingrel'atiom the strips along'the side members'having spaced slits for receiving, and holding the ends ofi threadscrossingqsaid first-named threads in a stretched condition;

5. A device for forming a net work of intersecting threads comprising arbase; a raisedbridge near one endliaving'spaced' notches for supportingsubstantially longitudinal threads, a second raised bridge spaced: apartfrom the iirst bridge and having means for supporting said threads,means" at' the` end"` of thebase' having spaced slits withresilient-jaws into Which' said threads can b'edrawn andheldandzmeansatthe-sides ofthe base having spaced slits'vvith iixed` resilient'jawsfor. holding transversel threads. stretched across the substantiallylongitudinal threads 6; A device for forming af net Work. ofintersecting threadscomprising-.abasd a raised bridge carried' by'thebase and having. means for supporting threadsA` thereon, av second,bridge parallel to the rst bridge: having spaced notches forvsupportingr threads from the: first-mentioned bridge, a resilientstripcarriedby saidbase parallel to said bridges and having spacedslits-forreceiving and holding threads stretched from the rst bridgeover the second bridgefand-.fixedresilient strips at' theisidesfof thevbase havingspaced slits for' receiving. and; holding' threads stretchedLit() y at' the opposite side edges and one extending transversely ofthe base, said strips having spaced slits for resiliently holdingthreads, a bridge extendingA transversely of the base and havingprojectonsabovethe levelof'the base around whichsubstantiallylongitudinal threads maybe held at oneendfoffa ladderto' beformedwhile the opposite ends of thethreads are held stretched in theslits of the'transverse strip',- said side strips havingV tlieirspa'cedslitsat'the approximatelevel of the bridge for holding transversestretched threads supported by the substantially longitudinal threads,saidg baser being provided with means for p'ermittingfa change in thedistance between the-transversebridge and the transverse strip so as tochange'the length ofithe ladder to be formed.

9iv A device on which to form aiminature ladder comprising aV basehaving iixed' resilient strips at the oppositesideedgesand atat leastone end, said strips having spaced slits for resiliently holdingstretched? threads, a bridgeextending transversely of the base andhaving'spaced projections around:l Whicl'ie substantially longitudinalthreads maybe held-fat one end of'aA ladder to be formed while theopposite ends of the threads are held stretched5 intheslits of the stripatA thel end of the baseand a"4 notchedE bridge: supported by the basebetween the'rst-mentioned bridge and the strip at the end of`theebase'for positioning the threads at the other er1/"de of'thela'dder,said side strips having# their' spaced slits at the approximate level'of5 the bridges for holding transverse threads stretched acrosstliesubstantially longitudinal threads;

FRLANK SPANO.

REFERENCESv CITED i The following references arefl ofA record in thefile of this.- patent:

UNITED PATENTS Number Name y Date 763,815 Painter July 1, 19'02 762,0231Brown; June 7, 1904 975,179l Todd. et ali Nov. 8, 1910 1,0%;709 GillieslMay 12, 1914 1361013735 Hardman. Decl 14, 1926 1,859,842 Radford May 24,1932 1,995,384; Fletcher ..Mar. 26, 1935 2,074,264 Karle Mar; 16, 19372390,8131 Walker Feb, 20, 1940 2,292,356.' Belangen k Aug. 11, 19422,395,981 Walker' Mar. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date5,417' Great B11itaim. -.May 2,1885

